A Different Kind of Ranger
by Kaori Nozomi
Summary: Team Lightyear must save Commander Nebula's niece from the clutches of the Evil Emperor Zurg. That is, if she'll let them.
1. Chapter 1: The Assignment

Chapter 1: The Assignment

"I'm telling you Booster, this girl's everywhere. She might even get bigger than Vicki Vortex!" XR said with certainty as he shoved a magazine in the face of his large, red-skinned friend.

Booster paused between mouthfuls of curly fries to glance at the picture in the magazine. It was a centerfold advertisement for an upcoming film: "Shooting Stars" staring Luna Stellarous. The woman on the page wore a purple ball gown over her pleasing figure. She was holding her dress up to reveal the compact blaster that was tucked into her thigh-high boots. Lush, chocolate brown hair curled around her cream colored face, which bore a cute, half-smile. Her eyes were a peculiar shade of violet, and glinted with a knowing light. Altogether, she looked as clever as she was beautiful.

"She's okay, I guess, but there's no way she's better than Vicki Vortex," Booster mumbled through his lunch.

"Honestly, guys," came a voice from behind them. XR's gears made a slight whirring noise as he turned to face his blue-skinned comrade. Mira rolled her eyes as she sat down. "We just saved the galaxy from a sentient black hole, and all you guys can talk about is your super models."

"Whoa, whoa. Luna Stellarous is not just another super model. She's also a singer, an actress, a dancer, and an author. Not to mention that she's absolutely smokin'! This girl's the whole package," XR argued.

"Fascinating, XR, simply fascinating," Mira responded with disinterest as she ordered a salad from a passing waitress.

"Mira, where's Buzz?" Booster asked. It wasn't like Buzz to miss out on lunch at Cozmo's Diner.

"Oh, that. You know Sally, that waitress that's been eyeing him for weeks? Well, she stopped him at the door as we were coming in, and I thought it would be best to give them a little space to talk alone," Mira answered with a smirk.

The three rangers turned to the door. Sure enough, there was their captain, standing awkwardly with the pretty little waitress.

"I don't know about you guys, but the suspense is killing me!" XR exclaimed as he pulled a listening device from the compartment in his chest. He pointed it toward Buzz and the three of them could clearly make out the Space Ranger's words.

"XR!" Mira whispered, admonishingly.

"You shouldn't listen in on a private conversation!" Booster added.

"Hey, don't tell me you guys don't want to know what's going on too," XR argued back. With that, all three Rangers quieted themselves and listened. To all of their dread, things didn't seem to be going well for their comrade.

"It's nothing personal. It's just that Star Command is the only lady that I have time for right now. Do you understand?" Buzz, with all of his good intentions, never did know how to be gentle with the ladies.

Over the device, the eaves-dropping Rangers could hear the dejected waitress mumble an "I understand," followed by a stifled sob.

"Nice goin' big guy," XR said sarcastically as Mira slapped herself on the forehead in disbelief.

"Oh, poor Sally," Booster's head was drooped, sympathetically.

The waitress scurried off, and Buzz made his way over to the table, a guilty look on his face. XR tucked away the listening device and feigned innocence. Buzz sat down and looked ready to put the whole scene behind him.

But Mira wouldn't let the matter be forgotten, "Buzz, you can't keep blocking people out."

"I am not blocking people out. I just don't have time for personal relationships right now."

"You don't have time, or you're just afraid to try?"

"Let's get this straight: I'm not afraid of anything. The safety of the galaxy is my number one priority. Nothing else is as important as that," Buzz responded, clearly frustrated.

Mira was concerned for him. Buzz Lightyear was the best Space Ranger in the galaxy, and he had managed to save countless lives during his time at Star Command, but he had always worked himself too hard, putting his own life and happiness aside for his job. Mira couldn't help wondering if he would be better off with someone in his life.

She was going to question him further on the issue when Buzz's wrist communicator beeped. He opened it to reveal the face of Commander Nebula.

"Lightyear, we've got a situation. I need you and your team to get back here pronto," Commander Nebula barked through the communicator. Buzz had heard the same urgency in Nebula's voice before, and it told him one thing: the Evil Emperor Zurg was up to something.

"Of course, Commander, we're on our way," Buzz responded and hung up. "All right, team, let's move out." The others swiftly obeyed and within seconds, Team Lightyear was in their ship and headed for Star Command.

Upon their arrival at Star Command, the team reported to the Briefing Room. A long table set with chairs occupied the center of the room. Above the table hung a large, flat monitor.

Once they had assembled, Nebula began to fill them in on the situation. "I'm sure you guys have heard of the famous performer, Luna Stellarous?" At the mention of the name, the overhead monitor displayed a glamour shot of the violet eyed super star. XR's eyes bulged and a mechanical tongue flopped out of his mouth.

Nebula continued, "Well, she was supposed to perform at a charity concert to raise money for the Planet of Widows and Orphans, but she never made it to the concert. Her robot body guards were later found beat to pieces in a dumpster outside of Stellarous' dressing room. A security camera in the area managed to catch this:"

The monitor played the security tape. It showed the entrance to the alley, where the robots were found. After a few seconds, a tall, dark figure walked down the street and entered the alley. The film was blurry, but even with its poor quality, Team Lightyear knew who the figure was: Warp Darkmatter, a henchman to the Evil Emperor Zurg.

"This tape was taken minutes before Stellarous disappeared. It seems pretty clear that Zurg is behind this. Our best guess it that Zurg plans to hold Stellarous for ransom. If so, we need to get her back before he has the chance. Whatever he's planning, it's up to you guys to stop him. Be quiet, be fast, find Stellarous and get out," Nebula concluded.

The team saluted their commander.

XR looked positively giddy, "Don't worry, Pop, I've got this mission under control."

No matter how many times he heard it, Nebula had never gotten used to the robot calling him "Pop," but he wasn't in the mood to argue. "I hope so," was all he said in response. He sounded sincere, and almost sad. Buzz was the only one who seemed to notice.

"Okay, team, head back to Forty Two. We leave immediately," Buzz commanded.

"Wow, XR, you might just get to meet your super star after all," Booster said as they left the room. Even from down the hall, you could hear the robot cheering.

Only Buzz Lightyear lingered behind. The sadness in his commander's voice troubled him. "Sir, if you don't mind me asking, this mission is personal to you, isn't it?" Buzz asked, gingerly.

The commander sighed. "Lightyear, I guess I'll let you in on something," Nebula said as he pulled a photo out of his desk drawer. It was a picture of Commander Nebula with a young girl who bore a striking resemblance to the missing performer.

"You knew Luna Stellarous?" Buzz guessed.

"Knew her? Yeah I knew her; back before she started using that phony stage name. Her real name is Nebula. Hayley Nebula. She's my niece," Nebula's usually emotionless face was as hard as ever, but it seemed to be frozen now, like a mask.

"Your niece?" Buzz looked confused, "I'm sorry sir, I didn't know you had any family."

"My sister and I never really saw eye-to-eye, so I don't see much of her or her daughter, Hayley," Nebula paused for a second. "She's a good kid, Lightyear. Would've made an excellent Ranger. She used to idolize you, you know. Wanted to be just like you,"

A proud smirk crept across Buzz's face. "Sounds like a smart kid, but I'm guessing that something changed?"

Nebula nodded, "As she got older, she began to hang around a rough crowd-"

"And they led her astray," Buzz cut in, "I've seen it happen far too many times."

"The Nebulas are stronger than that!" Commander Nebula barked. "It was her friends that changed. She kept them out of trouble, they stopped skipping school, and their grades even improved. Within a year, no one recognized them as the trouble-makers they were. And it was all because of her. It was at about that time that Hope decided not to enroll at the Space Rangers Academy. She told me that if she was going to make the universe a better place, she would find her own way of doing it," Nebula paused and smiled, "She was always independent like that."

"So that's why she became a performer?"

"I think so. Dancing, modeling, and all that: she's trying everything to find out where she can do the most good."

"Is there any chance of Zurg knowing about your relationship with her?"

"She's done a good job of keeping her personal life a secret, but if Zurg has learned of her connection to me, he might try and use her to get to Star Command. We can't let that happen."

"We could be walking into a trap, sir."

"That's why I'm sending you in. You've slipped past Zurg's defenses before. I'm counting on you to do it again."

Buzz wore a broad, assured smile on his face. "Don't worry, sir, Team Lightyear is on the job!"


	2. Chapter 2: The Damsel in Distress

Chapter 2: The Damsel in Distress

Hayley Nebula was scared, even terrified, but she knew better than to let her captors see that. 'I am angry,' she kept telling herself, 'I am angry at them for treating me like this.' Hayley repeated this inside her head until she herself believed it, and then the false anger started to show on her face. This made it a little easier for her to stand tall, even when Warp Darkmatter shoved her forward and told her to move faster. She had recognized her captor's face from wanted posters and news reports. If Darkmatter was the only threat, Hayley might have attempted to escape, but she and her captor were also joined by yellow battle drones; three in front of her, three behind, and every one of them armed. Darkmatter called the drones Hornets.

Hayley was led through a number of tall, red and grey halls. Many doors, crates, and even creatures were marked with emblems that looked like the letter "Z." They passed several beings that she could have mistaken for robots if it weren't for their heads, which were little more than exposed brains floating within glass tanks. Some of these brain pods pushed cargo that growled and squirmed under canvas covers. There were also tiny, insect-like creatures with big eyes and antennas. These grubs stood, hunched over pads of paper, taking stock of the brain pods' cargo. The more she saw, the harder it was for Hayley to act brave. Though she had never seen this place before, Hayley knew that she had been brought to Planet Z, home of the galaxy's most notorious criminal: the Evil Emperor Zurg.

As a child, Hayley would pretend to be a Space Ranger, and every one of her games ended with her flying to Planet Z, defeating Zurg, and saving the Galactic Alliance. But this wasn't a game, and she was no hero. Never had that been clearer to Hayley than it was now, as she was being pushed into the throne room of the Evil Emperor himself.

Once in the center of the room, the Hornets repositioned themselves so that they formed a rough semi-circle around Hayley and Darkmatter. Now there was nothing between her and the Evil Emperor. Sitting high upon his throne, Zurg was clad in purple robes with an armored chest plate. From his shoulders cascaded a cape of ebony and red fabric. The whole ensemble was topped with a helmet that covered the whole of his head and bore a detailed depiction of a face. The face it depicted barely resembled that of a human, for it was too cold and too robotic.

Hayley widened her stance as if readying herself for a fight. Her arms hung at her sides, but her fists were clenched so tightly that her nails jabbed into her palms. She loathed her dress for revealing how scrawny her arms were and for a moment, she wondered how much damage she could do if she used her high-heeled shoe as a weapon. Hayley wanted Zurg to think that she was tough, even if she didn't believe it herself.

Zurg's eyes burned like fire, but they weren't looking at Hayley. For the moment, their flames were focused on one of the insect creatures, who cowered under Zurg's gaze. The grub was bowed before the Emperor and it mumbled excuses, though the grub was shaking so violently that Hayley couldn't make out what it was saying. She was certain that the grub was an unfortunate bringer of bad news.

Suddenly, Zurg shot up from his seat. "Useless fool!" the Evil Emperor shouted. His hand came down and struck the grub. To Hayley's horror, the creature was sent flying through the air. Its tiny body smacked against the cold floor and tumbled until it lay crumpled at her feet.

A gasp escaped Hayley's lips. It was the gasp that alerted the Emperor to her presence. He turned and looked down at her. The celebrity wore a cherry-red dress that puffed out from her bare legs and flecks of glitter shone throughout her curled hair. Her lips had been colored to match her dress, but her eyes looked darker than Zurg had expected. Still, she was beautiful, and she would serve his purpose well.

"Ah, our honored guest has arrived," Zurg observed as he started toward the girl. But he paused, and watched Hayley with a puzzled look.

Her tough act forgotten, Hayley knelt upon the floor and supported the grub's limp body in her arms. "Come on, little guy," she mumbled as she gently tried to wake him. For one horrible moment, she thought the little creature was dead, but then its eyes flickered open and the grub stared up at Hayley. "You're gonna be okay," she assured him. He seemed as if he wanted to ask her something, but then his eyes looked behind her. Coming to his senses, the grub leapt to his feet and scurried out of the room.

"Wha-?" Hayley turned to see what had frightened the creature only to find herself a few inches from the face of the Evil Emperor Zurg, who had repositioned himself to look over her shoulder. Like the grub, Hayley sprung to her feet. She gladly would have fled the room, but she knew that now was not the time for escape.

"What are you doing?" Zurg asked with genuine confusion.

Hayley had to take a breath. 'Be brave. Don't let them see your fear,' she reminded herself.

"I was making sure that the little creature was alright. You could have killed him," Hayley glared into Zurg's red eyes.

"Yes I could have," he said, nonchalantly. Zurg returned Hayley's stare. A look of disgust spread across her face and Zurg remembered that he needed the celebrity on his side.

"Oh come now," he began, forcing his voice to sound friendly, "There was never any real danger." Zurg plucked up a passing grub and held it up in demonstration. He gave a forceful rap on the creature's head. The action made a distinct knocking sound. The grub looked absolutely terrified, but Zurg continued in his forced tone, "Exoskeletons, you see."

"I see," Hayley responded, absentmindedly. Rather than listening to his words, Hayley found herself staring at his face, which now almost seemed to be smiling at her. What she'd thought to be a helmet was forming expressions. Could this purple, horned mask actually be his face, or was the technology of his helmet just that advanced?

Zurg paid no attention to her fascination. He continued, speaking mostly to himself, "Still, that was quite the show of compassion. Must be great for your public image."

"What are you planning to do with me?" Hayley asked.

"I'm so glad you asked. You see, over the years I've made many attempts to conquer this galaxy, but those pesky Rangers always seem to get in my way," he paused, suddenly enraged at the thought of Space Rangers. Then he looked at Hayley, almost awkwardly, and continued. "However, my latest plan is surely my most cunning yet. Rather than enslaving and controlling the populace with fear, I shall win them over. All I need is for the free people of the Galactic Alliance to want to obey me. Those goody two-shoes Space Rangers wouldn't dare fight against the people's free will!"

Hayley found this plan utterly ridiculous. No one liked Zurg, nor would anyone ever choose to be controlled by him. "So, how do you plan to win them over? Mind control?" she guessed.

"Been there, done that," Zurg responded, brushing off the suggestion. "No, the beauty of this plan is its simplicity. All I need is someone to help me win the hearts of all those mindless fools. And who better to help me than you? Luna Stellarous: the fastest rising star in all of the Galactic Alliance. You manage to gain masses of followers wherever you perform. The people love you. It should be easy to exercise your influence over them."

Hayley was horrified. She hated to think that she had that kind of influence over anyone, but more than that she couldn't believe that she was being asked to start a galaxy-wide revolution. "I don't think I could help you."

Zurg drew close to her and brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. "Simply put, my dear, you don't have a choice."


End file.
